Who’s Going To Replace Tom Thibodeau?

Yesterday, the Chicago Bulls fired Tom Thibodeau after 5 seasons posting a 255-139 record (65% win %). While Thibodeau is one of the more successful coaches in the league, but it was time for a change. There was a lot of tension between Thibodeau, the front office, and even some of the players. His defensive approach and style was fantastic, but his offense was bland. However, I do think he’ll land a job somewhere else with a team that already has the offensive firepower but lacks defense. He can tighten up any defense.

But let’s look at possible head coaching replacements for the Chicago Bulls. Bulls GM Gar Forman said in a press conference yesterday that they are not looking for someone specific and that they are open to viewing anyone:

“I just don’t think we’re going to put ourselves in a box. I know that’s kind of an easy thing to say, but we’ve got certain criteria, some of which I’ve already said, but we’re not going to put ourselves in a box that it had to have been a head coach, an assistant, what level they’ve coached at. We’re really looking for the right fit. I went through some of those things that I talked about, obviously someone that could lead, someone that can communicate at a high level, has a great knowledge of the game. Obviously experience is a plus, as far as coaching is concerned. If they’ve been a head coach, even more so. But we’re not going to limit the search in any way.”

Here are some possible candidates to be the next Chicago Bulls head coach:

Fred Hoiberg- Iowa State Head Coach: The former Bulls player seems to the be the leading candidate for the job. He has posted a 115-56 record in the four years he has coached the Cyclones. While he is considered to be one of the most NBA “ready” coaches, the question will be is he ready to leave his hometown and go to the NBA?

Alvin Gentry- Golden State Warriors Assistant Coach: This is my favorite option for the Bulls. He has a lot of NBA coaching experience from working with the Spurs in the early 90’s to recently the Warriors. He is the opposite of Thibodeau in more of a player-friendly coach and is offensive-minded. With the way the Warriors are currently playing, you can tell that Gentry made a huge impact on the team. His career head coaching record isn’t spectacular (335-370), but with the type of talent the Bulls have they can make some serious noise in the East if he coaches the Bulls.

Adrian Griffin- Chicago Bulls Assistant Coach: If the Bulls want to bring someone that already knows what to expect from the team then this is a good candidate. He has played for the Bulls also like Hoiberg and has developed players like Jimmy Butler. The players are fans of him and knows everyone in the front office. Griffin could relax the tension.

I think that these are good potential head coaching candidates. Another name I’d throw out there is Mark Jackson. The former Golden State Warriors coach did a great job with the Warriors and helped them become a Western Conference threat. While he did have clashes with the front office, which lead to his firing last offseason, he still has great knowledge of the game being a former player and commentator for 20 plus years.